A Child's Heart
by littleAliengrl
Summary: Something funky's going on with Monkey D. Luffy, leaving the rest of the Strawhats confuzzled. Especially his navigator who just can't seem to figure him out. Symptom 1: Loss of appetite. Sympton 2: Daydreaming. Sympton 3: Thinking...? LuffxNami


A/N: Hey, I've had this one-shot sitting on my desktop for the longest time so I figured it was time for me to get back on the ball. You guys will notice that Brooke isn't in this story and that's because I had started this a little while before he came along. I didn't want to go back and add him out of laziness but still there's plenty of LuffyxNami to go around!! XD

**A Child's Heart**

"Luffy! Come on, it's lunch time! How many times do I have to call you out?!" Sanji hollered.

Everyone at the table looked up mid-bite, expecting their incompetent captain to come bounding in at any second. When not a peep was heard, Chopper started to get worried.

"That's really strange. Usually, he'd be the first at the table. Do you think he's sick?"

"Like what? Sea sick?" Nami muttered sardonically.

Usopp snickered at this before turning to the gang with an all too serious expression.

"Chopper might be right. What if he really is sick? I mean _Luffy_ missing _lunch_?? Come on. If we leave him out on the lion-head, he might fall into the ocean."

Zoro pushed his plate in front of him and stood up with an inaudible grunt.

"I'll get him. Who knows what kind of trouble he'll get himself into."

A minute later, Zoro came back without Luffy anywhere in sight. He had a perplexed look on his face as he sat back down. Franky was the first to speak up. "So...what did Strawhat say?"

With a dazed expression, Zoro murmured, "He said...he wasn't hungry."

A round of gasps echoed around the room. Sanji slammed a hand down on the table.

"He's actually refusing **MY**cooking?!" Sanji shouted. He grabbed a plate and loaded it with a mountain-ful of meat on it. "That little turd monkey! I added a special sauce on this that could tempt even a vegetarian!!"

Everyone watched him leave, knowing full well that their captain wouldn't refuse meat. Sanji came back holding an empty plate. He looked a bit embarrassed as he scratched the back of his neck.

"So...what did he say?" Usopp asked, breaking the ice when no one else spoke.

"Well, he did take the meat...before he tossed it into the air and this giant bird swooped down and ate it. I yelled at him and yelled at him but all he ever paid attention to was the sky. I can't see what he sees..."

"You mean he's out there actually...thinking?" Zoro gasped out.

"Now, really. I think that's selling Luffy short. If he wishes to be left in peace, then that is what we should give him, " Robin tried reasoning.

Everyone was suddenly staring at Robin who regarded each of them calmly.

"What?"

"Robin! If anyone can get Luffy to come and eat, it's you! He'll listen!" Chopper exclaimed, pumping his hoof in the air.

Robin sweatdropped, wearing an awkward smile on her face.

"Did any of you even listen to what I was just saying?" she chuckled.

"Don't, Robin. It's useless with this hoard of idiots," Nami sighed irritably.

She glanced at the men who were now arguing over what could possibly be keeping Luffy from eating lunch. She smiled her elegant smile and shrugged at Nami before getting up.

"Might as well give them what they want. They can't help but fuss over their beloved captain."

Nami stared at Robin in wonder as she strode through the door and came back with a pleasant smile. She gave her friend a side-ways glance as Robin sat back down. She left them in suspense as she busily cut her steak.

"What he say?" Zoro asked gruffly.

"He simply says that we should continue without him." She chewed on her steak and turned to Sanji. "I give my compliments to the chef. This is delicious, Cook-san."

Everyone fell over the casualty of the woman and took a moment before they could all regain their composure.

Hearts began forming all around Sanji as he knelt by Robin. "Robin-chwan! You need not compliment me so!"

They ignored the rambling idiot as they got back to the matter at hand. Zoro pointed the hilt of his Wado Ichimonji at Usopp and Chopper. They jumped slightly at his sudden aggression.

"W-what?"

"Why don't you two try it? You guys are always fishing or fooling around with Luffy one way or another so maybe you guys can figure out what our so-called captain is up to."

"Umm..." Usopp glanced Chopper's way who in turn bit his lip anxiously. "Sure, okay. We'll give it a try."

Nami smirked as they walked out of the dining room with determined steps. She propped her chin on top of her palm.

"This oughtta be interesting..."

It wasn't long before both of them came back, dragging their feet along as they made their way back to their seats.

"...He seemed so spaced-out erm- more than usual, anyway. Doesn't seem like he's sick though. He said that there was a lot on his mind and that food wouldn't be able to fill up the emptiness."

"Wow...that sounds so...dark of him," Nami whispered the last part.

Everyone shared the same sentiment, having long forgotten about their food. For a moment, no one said a word but were instead too caught up in their own thoughts. Luffy...they had seem him get hella scary around them before and wondered if he was really capable of thoughts dark enough to make him act so unLuffy-like around them.

Franky stood up abruptly, knocking his chair over in the process. He had his eyebrows furrowed deeply and snatched his glasses from his face. He laid them on the table and left them with out so much as a word. The strawhats watched on in wonder. Would Franky be able to get Luffy to come?

Franky stayed out longer than any of them and they could all hear his faint voice arguing with Luffy. For a moment, all went deadly quiet on the Thousand Sunny before Franky appeared in the doorway with a tired expression. Instead of taking his place next to Zoro, he leaned against the wall. He opened his fridge and downed a large bottle of cola in one gulp.

"You guys know I obviously couldn't bring him back so it doesn't really matter what he said. I'm just gonna give ya my theory...I think the kid is finally going through puberty.

"What?!" Everyone(except Robin) shouted. They all turned to look at Nami who had screamed the loudest. She flushed a bit in turn and averted her gaze from everyone.

Zoro snorted as he turned back to Franky. "That can't be it. No offense, Franky but I think you're way off there."

Franky stood up ram-rod straight and pointed his cola bottle at Zoro's chest.

"Oi! It's completely obvious! Check out his lack of eating. His day-dreaming. "

Sanji appeared beside Franky with a pensive expression, his fists buried in the folds of his pockets.

"Che. Luffy can't get any stranger than that. That shit-head eats at least ten times a day before he even gets even slightly full. To refuse my cooking, something must be effectively changing his daily routines."

Zoro let out an irritated sigh. "I just don't think we should be jumping to conclusions and even if Luffy does have a little crush or finally understands sex, so what? It's his business anyway."

"I agree with you, Swordsman-san. There's absolutely nothing wrong with him being a late bloomer. It's perfectly normal. I admit that I myself was wondering when he would reach puberty," Robin said, thoughtfully.

Zoro clawed at his face as he dragged it down with a nauseous expression.

"And peeping in on Vivi and Nami in the baths wasn't enough for the little twerp?"

Usopp snickered at this but were quickly silenced by a death glare from Nami. Chopper _'eep'ed _and hid behind Usopp at the ferocity in her eyes. Nami turned her head and bit her lip, pouting slightly at the mention of Luffy.

Zoro scratched his head with a look of exhaustion. "Okay, let's say he is going through puberty, the case is solved. Let's get on with our lives already."

"Wait! I still haven't tried yet," Nami insisted, slamming her hands down on top of the table and standing up.

They all stared at her, seeing the obvious eagerness in her eyes. She tried to scowl at them and looked away.

"L-look, I'm just worried about him, okay?"

Zoro shrugged. "I guess it doesn't really matter now. Well, I'm eating with or without Luffy. We leave up to you now."

Everybody took their usual positions and those who had already finished were asking Sanji for seconds. Robin graciously offered to help him with the dishes. Nami glanced at them over her shoulder before leaving them to go find Luffy.

She found him at the same spot he had been in for the past few hours. She wondered what he could possibly have on his mind to keep him away from his true love; meat. Luffy heard her before she was even three yards away from him. He turned around to give her a wide grin, his face making her world a lot more brighter.

"Hey, Nami."

"H-hey. W-what're you doing out here?" she stuttered, feeling a bit embarrassed. She looked down as she approached him and stood a few feet from where he sat.

"I just can't swallow this feeling inside me...I figured that I just needed to get away for a little while."

"Umm...Luffy?"

His eyes held hers' and Nami felt her heart skip a beat for a fraction of a second. She could've drowned those dark, bottomless eyes of his but after a moment, she realized that he had been speaking to her.

Luffy gave her a side-long glance with his hand resting on top of his strawhat. His long, tan arms at his side showed just how much of a kid he wasn't anymore. He had grown into a lean, and muscular man though Nami never liked to admit this to herself.

"Nami?"

"Yes?" she asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Do you know what's happening to me?"

Nami was taken aback for she hadn't been expecting that question to pop out of Luffy like that. She shook her head and tried her best to regain her composure.

"...Sorry, I'm the wrong person entirely to ask."

"Really? I see." Luffy chuckled. "It's funny. I'm always feeling like this everytime I'm around this person."

Nami's eyebrows furrowed at this in disapproval and crossed her arm over her chest peevishly.

"So who _do_ you like anyway? Robin? Vivi?"

It was Luffy's turn to be taken aback as he stared at Nami strangely from beneath the lid of his hat. He tilted it back to get a better look at her.

"What're you talking about?"

"You do, don't you?" Nami acused, her face flushed in anger.

"Well, sure. They're my nakama after all. Why wouldn't I like them?"

Nami suddenly felt embarrassed and wished she could just walk away and pretend she had never brought it up.

"Why did you ask?"

"...Nothing. The crew and I are just worried about your weird behavior, that's all. They all came to get you, but each time you just turned them away."

"They did? When?"

Nami nearly fell over at this, feeling the floor of the ship tilt beneath her. She bonked Luffy on the head and began screaming at him.

"Just now! They all came!"

Luffy rubbed the large lump on the back of his head with a frown marring his face. He spun his hat around his finger as he thought this over.

"You sure? I can't remember. Guess I had too much on my mind. Well, they can eat without me. You can go on ahead too."

"...Luffy? Lunch is already over and we're all moving on!"

"Oh? Okay, then."

Nami felt as if she would burst, her face turning red from the anger and embarrassment that lit itself inside of her.

"Listen up, Luffy and listen good! Tell me who's the other girl right now!" she shouted.

Luffy arched an eyebrow at her and jumped down from the lionhead so that he was now standing in front of her. Nami backed away at seeing the intense expression on his face. He arched his neck toward her, his warm breath puffing in her face.

"What other girl?" Luffy demanded.

Nami was flabbergasted, making a great fish impression as she opened her mouth and closed it. She backed away a few steps but Luffy imitated her actions and kept coming at her.

_'Oh, God...does this mean he's gay?? Then is it Zoro? Sanji? Usopp? Or maybe even Chopper?!'_

She was dragged out of her thoughts, when she felt two calloused hands on her shoulders. At seeing Lufy so close to her, Nami scowled at him and tried to shrug him off indifferently. He wouldn't let her gobut instead tightened his hold over her slim arms.

"What do you want?"

"You're pretty dense, aren't you?" Luffy chuckled.

"I don't want to hear that from you!"

By now, they had caused so much commotion that the whole crew was now watching them from the doorway of the dining hall. Luffy chuckled when he noticed them, and decided to give them a show worth watching. He took off his hat and placed it by his and Nami's head so that their faces were hidden from view. When Nami saw Luffy's face inching closer to hers', she felt her face turning pink.

Luffy smiled at as he leaned forward...and rested his forehead against hers'. He had his eyes closed as he leaned into her. Nami stared at him in wonder and sighed deeply. She just could never understand her incompetent captain.

"L-Luffy...? What're you doing?" she breathed.

"...I only get this weird feeling when I'm near you...I wonder why. Do you ever get the same feeling?" Luffy asked innocently, lifting his head up to look at her.

"I...

Nami found her voice failing her as Luffy opened his eyes to stare into her own. Luffy placed the hat back on his head, oblivious to his nakama gawking at him like if he was from another planet.

"I see. You don't have to answer that."

Luffy placed his arms behind his head as he walked away. He glanced over his shoulder and gave Nami a final grin. He walked up to his nakama with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I must've worried you guys. I wasn't feeling like myself today," Luffy said, shrugging.

Sanji snorted. "That's for sure. Well, whatever, there's still leftovers...Wait, a minute, what were you doing to Nami-swan?!"

Everyone chose to ignore Sanji's bantering as they each went their separate ways. Robin decided to go off reading in her corner while Zoro began sharpening his swords. Franky joined Usopp and Chopper in fishing on the side of the Thousand Sunny.

Nami looked after Luffy as he walked into the kitchen with clouded eyes. She grasped the cloth of her blouse where her heart was beating rapidly.

_'...He actually knows a lot more than he chooses to let on. I see...there really is no need for me to answer."_

On her way to her room, she crossed paths with Luffy who had an arm-load of meat. As they passed each other, they seemed to share a secret smile that only the two of them could understand.

"Hey."

"Hi," Nami whispered in a shy voice, very unNami-like.

They brushed past each other, and Nami could feel a very familiar feeling shoot through her at the contact. She found herself glancing over her shoulder to steal a peek only to see her Captain doing the same. He gave her a smile that she all too eagerly returned and they both finally went their separate ways.

A/N: Wish I could've ended it better. Well, plz review and let me know what you think. R/R for more!!


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